About
Village Antiques, Asheville – Provence and Provenance
BY KATE REYNOLDS
of Carolina Home & Garden Magazine
Those with a taste for subtle irony will surely enjoy the fact that Village Antiques in Asheville’s Biltmore district is housed in the former Coca-Cola bottling plant. Despite the rather unassuming edifice, Village is, as they say, ‘the real thing’ — an outstanding selection of world-class period furniture and decorative art, hand picked by a trio of proprietors with 65 years of combined experience.
A favorite of savvy decorators, discriminating homeowners and visiting celebrities alike, the 25,000 square foot showroom is brimming with 17th and 18th century pieces, the majority of which have been imported directly by the owners, who make frequent scouting trips to Europe. “We make a personal connection with what we’re buying,” notes partner David L’Eglise. “We really want to know the provenance.”
“The luxury of space allows us to buy large scale pieces,” David continues, “monumental, in some cases.” The offerings include the expected items — commodes, armoires, impressive paintings — and some extraordinary finds, such as an entire room’s wood paneling, complete with fireplace surround and mantel, from a French estate.
But you need not be in the market for such grand gestures to appreciate the scope of their inventory. Village also gathers unusual collections ranging from natural history (they have a full cave bear skeleton in their storerooms) to European religious art (partner Zenda Addis holds a Master of Divinity and specializes in iconography) to fine hand wrought ironwork and fixtures.
With in-house restoration facilities, nationwide shipping services and a knowledgeable staff, Village Antiques brings the Old World home to Western North Carolina.
Village Antiques is located in Biltmore Village at 755 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville. 828-252-5090. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00AM – 5:30PM or by appointment.